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Girls’ Seminar

Rowden Fullen (2004)

Men play well back from the table with power and strong topspin. Women play closer to the table and counter more with speed than topspin. This means that very different timing points are used in male and female table tennis.

Men hit the ball harder and are capable of achieving more topspin than women do. The harder you hit the ball with a closed racket, the more topspin you create and the more on-the-table control you have.

As a result the men have more control and face a more predictable ball. Many women play with lesser power and differing materials, which also adds to the unpredictability after the bounce in the women’s game.

The unpredictability in the women’s game directly affects the stroke technique especially on the forehand side.

Because of the lesser spin and power in the women’s game length becomes much more significant.

Women generally have a much squarer stance than men do (60% to around 25 – 30%).

Women receive much less with the forehand than the men do (53% to around 80%).

Women receive much more with the backhand (47% to 19%). Many receive with the backhand from the middle.

Women in general serve more with the backhand (20% to around 5%)

Women use more long serves than men do (16/17% as opposed to about 10%, but European women serve long much more than Asian women, 30% to around 13%).

Asian women serve more short serves than European women do (65% to 50%).

Counter-play is still the main tactic in the women’s game and timing is vital. The ‘timing window’ in drive-play is extremely narrow, between ‘peak’ and 1 – 2 centimetres before. It is just not possible to ‘hit’ the ball hard from a late timing point WITHOUT TOPSPIN.

The ability to open hard against the first backspin ball and not just spin all the time is a vital asset in the woman’s game.

From an early age it’s vital that girls learn to open and to play positively on the backhand side.

It’s also important that girls are at ease in the ‘short play’ situation and able to gain advantage in this area.

Strong serve and third ball and good receive tactics are of prime importance if girls are to reach high levels.